Organising your friends for a trip away isn’t easy. Everyone has commitments, schedules and responsibilities to work around. Getting everyone’s ducks to line up can feel like an insurmountable task! How do you get your group of friends booked in for a holiday together with the absolute minimum of fuss and still keep everyone happy? Follow these 3 simple steps for booking a group hiking trip.
Step 1: Pick a Destination
Walking Legends has the best range of guided walking holidays in the North Island. We visit Great Barrier Island, Coromandel, Lake Waikaremoana and the Tongariro National Park.
You need a quick, simple solution so book a package deal. Our trips are all-inclusive holiday packages, we sort accommodation, transport and food. We’ve done the research and fine-tuned the perfect group hiking trip option for you and your mates. All the hard stuff is done, you just show up and walk.
Step 2: Pick a Date
How do we pick a date? Pre-scheduled versus private and which one should you choose?
Pre-scheduled Dates:
We have a calendar of pre-scheduled departure dates that are open for booking by anyone who loves walking. You can find available dates on our website – just click here. Email or call us to check if we can fit your group in.
Private Dates:
If our pre-scheduled dates don’t work, ask for a special departure just for your group hiking trip. We always leave room in our calendar for private group dates. We’ll check availability at our accommodation providers and give you a couple of options to work with.
Step 3: Build a List of ‘Yes’s’
Now we get to the sticky end, where we need to start sorting details. You might be thinking ‘I just can’t deal with all the admin!’ Never fear my hiking friend, we can solve this one too.
- We are a boutique travel agency for hikers. We lift the administrative burden off your shoulders and support you in getting your people sorted. Provide us with a list of names and email addresses for your group and we’ll step up and get the ball rolling. Answering everyone’s queries – leave it to us! Sending reminders about payment deadlines – we’ve got this! Collecting important information on medical and dietary requirements – done in a jiffy! It’s that easy.
Even though you’re presenting your friends with a very exciting option, you may find some need further encouragement.
For the ‘I’m not sure” friend
- Share the itinerary, get them excited.
- Tag them in our Facebook or Instagram posts.
- Start a group WhatsApp page for the trip and share your thoughts and plans about the adventure.
- Get together for brunch to work out the details, make it a special event. You don’t have to wait until departure day to start having fun with the idea.
- If these fail, sometimes you just have to book in whoever is keen and let the last-minute Charlies join the pack once they get a sense they’re missing out.
For the ‘I don’t have time friend,’
- It’s the ‘I don’t have time’ friends who often need an adventure the most!
- Put a finger on the calendar and book far in advance – we’ve all got people who make demands on our time, but chances are they’re not looking 12 months ahead. Get the jump on them and plan your time away before this comes to a head. Then you can simply be ‘unavailable’ for this window of time.
- Do your best, but if it doesn’t work, carry on without them. Once they’ve seen the rest of your group getting out here and living a great life, they might start to re-assess their priorities and join you on your next adventure.
For the “I’m not fit enough friend”
- If you have a wide spread of fitness levels in your group, it’s best to book a private date where things can be tailored to your specific group. Our walks require a moderate fitness level, some tracks have sections that are harder but they don’t last long.
- Take them out walking in the months/weeks leading up to summer. By putting in the practice beforehand, a multi-day group hiking trip doesn’t look so scary.
- On a private date, it’ll be just you and your friends. You can walk at your own pace and there’s no pressure to keep up with the fast folks and you don’t have to worry about holding anyone up.
- Our itineraries are carefully planned and paced to suit a wide range of fitness levels. There’s always a big walk on Day 2 or Day 3 and if anyone wants to sit this walk out, that’s okay, there’s no pressure to complete every walk.
- Check in with our reservations team before you book to find out which area has the most variable itinerary and the best balance of track grades.
For the ‘It’s too expensive friend,’
- Let’s get real here, this is a question of priorities. We find the funds for things that we prioritise. In this busy world, fun doesn’t happen unless it’s planned.
- Flexible payment options: we take bookings up to 12 months in advance. All that’s required to secure your spot is a $300 NZD deposit and this is fully refundable up to 31 days before departure.
- Pay in installments. Break the cost up and chip away at it slowly over the course of the year. You climb a mountain one step at a time, you eat an elephant one bite at a time.
- Ask about our group rates. For large groups of 8 walkers or more, we can offer better savings if you bring the numbers.
- Once you’ve completed your first walk with us, we offer a 10% saving on your second walk, and your third, and your fourth. To unlock these benefits, all you have to do is join our tribe.
Organising group adventures takes work and sometimes people need a lot of encouragement. But it’s absolutely worth it! You are spending time with the people you love, doing things you enjoy and making memories that bring you closer together. So take that step and get something locked in the diary for the summer – you’ll never regret time spent with your favourite people.
To book your next mates trip, email us at [email protected]
Call to speak to one of our hiking specialists on NZ 0800 925 569 or AUS 1 800 646 584